There's a lot to digest in all that has lead us to the point of that video being released into the wild!
The positive aspect is that for the first time there is an acknowledgement that the lost uplift capacity is needed to maintain a viable snowsports business and that there needs to be a viable snowsports business to have a viable year round business on CairnGorm Mountain. Given the last 20 years of HIE's and CML's stewardship of the mountain that in itself is progress!
Leaving aside the proposals for Coire Cas for one moment though. The recommendations are restricted entirely to Coire Cas with no change in the Top Basin and a statement that redevelopment of snowsports in Coire na Ciste is now unviable.
How can there be any doubt that HIE's actions last summer in the removal of the Ciste infrastructure was a deliberate prejudicial action against the review of the mountain operations.
The West Wall Poma can not in itself adequately serve Coire na Ciste, children (and smaller adults) plus intermediate snowboarders who can happily ride the M2 just can't make it up the WWP and even for those that can ride the Poma here is why the West Wall Chairlift mattered in a single photo:
And in some numbers:
2010:
180 days - Ciste Gully skiable to old Chairlift boardwalk
57 days (32%) - West Wall Poma operated
68% of the time - Coire na Ciste without any uplift
2011:
140 days - Ciste Gully skiable to old Chairlift boardwalk
44 days (31%) - West Wall Poma operated
69% of the time - Coire na Ciste without any uplift
2013:
152 days - Ciste Gully skiable to old Chairlift boardwalk
52 days (34%) - West Wall Poma operated
66% of the time - Coire na Ciste without any uplift
2014:
131 days - Ciste Gully skiable to Chairlift boardwalk
14 days (11%) - West Wall Poma operated
89% of the time - Coire na Ciste without any uplift
